Ryan: Limited government is more effective

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Sunday supporting limited government does not mean striving for no government at all.

Ryan told ABC News' "This Week" the conservative goal is as much about making government more effective as it is reducing its sheer size.

"Those of us who believe in limited government also believe in effective government," said Ryan, one of the more prominent budget hawks on Capitol Hill. "A good and popular government is one that respects its limits. Is one that fulfills its goals and its functions well."

Ryan said the notion that conservatives want to throw the majority of ordinary Americans to the wolves in favor of the wealthy is a "straw man" argument put forward by the left.

He also argued that "big government" and "big business" are actually two peas in a pod.

"You have big government and big business exchanging favors with one another while the entrepreneur and the small-business person is left struggling to survive," Ryan said.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., cautioned that while conservatives might not want to impose regulations on the business community, they are willing to limit personal freedoms at home and engage in military adventures overseas.

"The answer is yes, we should have more government where we need in an interactive way to protect ourselves against abuses, but there should be more personal choice," Frank said.